Though common, arthritis is one of America’s most misunderstood diseases. Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, which can cause pain, discomfort and stiffness throughout joints and the body. Common symptoms of arthritis and joint inflammation include swelling, joint pain and stiffness and decreased range of motion — typically worsening with age.

In actuality “arthritis” is not a single disease. There are over 100 different types and severities of the disease, making it the leading cause of disability in America — affecting more than 50 million. However, there are two main types of arthritis that can benefit from routine chiropractic care:

Osteoarthritis – A degenerative disorder affecting flexible joint cartilage

Rheumatoid Arthritis – A chronic inflammatory disorder in joints

In both cases, self care combined with non-invasive, non-addictive treatment, should serve as your first line of defense to manage and relieve pain and discomfort.

Bursitis, also known as a working man’s disease, can occur through repetitive motion or minor impact. A bursa is a sac of fluid that acts as a cushion to protect bones and tendons around a joint. If a joint is overused or under pressure for long periods of time from sport, work or otherwise, a nearby bursa can become inflamed. Pain, swelling and tenderness of a joint are common symptoms of bursitis.

This particular disease is most common in those over 40. Bursitis most commonly strikes in the shoulders in individuals with hobbies such as gardening, raking, carpentry, shoveling, painting, scrubbing, tennis, golf, skiing, throwing, or pitching. Bursitis can also affect the elbows, knees and hips.

Odds are you or someone you know has had an ear infection. In fact, 80 percent of children will be diagnosed with an ear infection before their third birthday. But, why are they so common? More often than not, ear infections are caused by a bacterial or viral infection that can affect the inner, middle or outer ear. An ear infection occurs when the eustachian tubes (the small tubes that run from the ear to the back of the throat) become swollen or blocked, causing fluid to build up. Symptoms include ear pain, impaired hearing, dizziness or impaired balance.

This ailment can be painful and particularly debilitating for children under the age of 5. Although it can be emotionally difficult to see your child in pain, turning immediately to prescribed antibiotics for an ear infection may not be the best answer.

Commonly misdiagnosed, fibromyalgia is the world’s most common musculoskeletal condition. This long-term or chronic disease can be identified with widespread joint and muscle pain, areas of tenderness and/or general fatigue. Since these symptoms cannot be measured through tests and are subjective to the individual, there is no clear cause of fibromyalgia.

The lack of ability to test for fibromyalgia plays a big role in the misdiagnosis of the disease.

Below are some symptoms those with fibromyalgia may also experience:

• Fatigue
• Trouble sleeping
• Sleeping for long periods of time without feeling rested
• Headaches
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Inability to focus or difficulty paying attention
• Pain or dull aching in the lower abdomen

Achy legs keeping your child awake at night? They may have growing pains. Restless nights of aching and throbbing calves, shins and thighs in school-age children may be the result of growing.

Although the name is deceiving, growing pains don’t always happen where growth is occurring or during time periods of rapid growth. Studies have shown that growing pains may be a myth, and linked to restless leg syndrome which occurs from overactivity during the day.

Knee, foot or ankle pain got you down? As you age, your chances of lower leg pain, specifically in the knee, foot and ankle increase drastically. Approximately 24 percent of adults have ailments in joints from the knees down. Characteristics such as tenderness, decreased ability to move, walk, or bear weight, and stiffness or swelling in the joint could mean you are at risk of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or other similar diseases.

If knee, foot or ankle pain arises without injury, it is likely due to pressure caused by an increase in body weight or change in lifestyle. Since the joints below the knee are relatively small, drastic changes in body weight or lifestyle can easily strain or shift the joints such as the knee, foot or ankle easily.

Your low back is perfectly engineered to provide strength, support and flexibility to your upper body. It’s no wonder that your lower back is so sensitive to pain and injury from everyday life. Low back pain can source from a number of causes, as well as range in severity. A low back injury can be mild and annoying and work up to severe and debilitating. In fact, at any given time, approximately 31 million Americans experience low back pain or discomfort. Dull pain, achy pain, burning or spasming in the lower back is nothing to mess with.

Frequent or not, head or neck pain caused by migraines and tension headaches are not something to live with and endure. According to the International Headache Society, headaches impact almost 40 percent of the American population. Migraines and tension headaches alike are caused by muscle contractions in the head or neck region. Anything from a bright screen, loud music or lack of food and water can all be triggers for one of these uncomfortable aches, but there is a natural and drug-free solution.

Acting as a bridge between your head and your torso, which allows for motion of your head, your neck is made up of seven vertebra and is supported by many muscles and ligaments. Neck pain most often occurs when the joints, muscles and ligaments in the neck become irritated or inflamed.

Neck pain can range from minor and easily ignored, to excruciating and debilitating. When combined with other symptoms it can also indicate immediate medical attention is needed. Common symptoms of neck pain include:

• Stiff neck with limited range of motion
• Concentrated sharp or stabbing pain
• General soreness or tenderness
• Radiating pain, that can eventually lead from the neck to shoulders, arms, fingers and head

Although everyone experiences neck pain now and again, it is not something that should be tolerated. Approximately 17 percent of the adult population is suffering from neck pain and discomfort at any given time. In many instances this is caused by sleeping in an abnormal position, poor posture, falling or injuries from sport or whiplash. In rare cases, it can be caused by growth abnormalities, infections, tumors and even cancer.

In any event, neck pain can be serious and should be attended to immediately.

Repetitive Stress Disorder is an overuse injury that occurs when excessive amounts of stress or strain has been placed on a particular part of the body resulting in either pain, swelling, muscle strain or tissue damage. Repetitive Stress Disorders are in the same family as strains, sprains, and repetitive motion injuries. These kind of injuries are particularly common for those whose job requires repetitive motion or those who play various sports or musical instruments at high intensity. But, be cautious because repetitive stress disorders result in nearly 50 percent of work-related injuries.

Simply put, sciatica is nerve pain from irritation of the sciatic nerve, located in the lower back that runs down the back of each leg. The biggest tell of sciatica is radiating pain starting in your lower back that works its way down the back of the legs. Other signs include numbness, tingling and weakness in the legs or feet. Sciatica nerve pain is something to be on the lookout for, as many as 40 percent of adults will get it during their lifetime.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. While this may sound uncommon, scoliosis affects nearly 3 percent of the population, totalling at over 7 million people. For those 7 million, quality of life can be diminished, and participating in activities or sports can be limited due to pain, reduced respiratory function or diminished self-esteem.

Most scoliosis cases occur during the growth spurt just prior to puberty causing potential deformities. Other causes can include cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. To date, doctors do not know what causes scoliosis, although it appears to involve hereditary factors. While there is also no clear cure, there may be ways to provide relief and improve quality of life for scoliosis patients.

Shoulder and elbow pain can prevent you from living your life and doing the things you love. This type of pain is ongoing and most commonly occurs from overuse. Both shoulder and elbow pain are common with both adolescent and adult athletes and those who work physical, repetitive jobs. If left untreated shoulder and elbow pain can progress into back and neck pain or other issues like tingling and numbness in your hands.

Also known as the thoracic spine, the upper back is perfectly engineered to support the ribs, sternum, vital organs and the vertebrae below. Although fairly uncommon, upper back pain can cause serious discomfort and is typically caused by muscular and/or joint irritation or poor posture. In fact, one-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms throughout the year, likely caused by sitting improperly while working at a desk.